Tuesday, July 15, 2014: It's all getting a bit silly.

It's an embarrassment of riches. Late in the season, and with the top 8 as unsettled as in any other recent season, we could write about the race for the flag. We could discuss the ridiculousness behind the moustache of BT, who is clearly struggling to differentiate between a national broadcast and high school playground. We could have theorised on the contents of the menu at last night's coaches dinner at Gil McLachlans.  There is doubtless some joy to be found in riffing on the acrimony between Mick Malthouse and Cameron Ling, with the old fella unhappy about becoming a reality TV star - his less calm moments being featured so regularly on Channel 7's coverage... and the SCG's new Jumbotron. His dimming of lights and creative attempts to obscure himself with sheets of A4 paper proving no match for the crafty Big Brother tactics of the host broadcaster.

So much silliness, yet none of it rivals the sheer joy that this publication draws from the ire between Sydney and Collingwood, or rather, Sydney and Eddie. We've said it before, and we'll say it again, football has so little to do with what happens on the field. The players themselves are mere short-term attention seekers, while the long game is played by rich men in suits arguing over money. In this regard, there is one rivallry which exceeds all others, and that is Eddie and the Swans. What started with a small debate over the cost of living allowance is now a full blown war. John Longmire has refused to have anything to do with Eddie, who in turn accused him of being unaustralian for refusing to be an assistant coach for the International Rules series.

Now Eddie has lined up the Swans Academy, while also refusing to "throw rose petals at the feet of Sydney" while they "march to September glory". It's all getting a little silly, but nearly as silly as the Fairfax journalist who urged Eddie to keep his mouth shut - on the grounds of a correlation between his 2010 quietness and Collingwoods Premiership.


The Monday... uh... Tuesday Wrap
Friday:
Hawthorn 104 defeated Adelaide 92
Saturday:
Geelong 102 defeated Melbourne 36
North Melbourne 92 defeated St. Kilda 33
Western Bulldogs 94 defeated Gold Coast 66
West Coast 76 defeated Brisbane 64
Sydney 122 defeated Carlton 51
Sunday:
Richmond 126 defeated Port Adelaide 106
Essendon 103 defeated Collingwood 39
Fremantle 136 defeated GWS 60

Ladder
Sydney - 52 - 143.51%
Fremantle - 48 - 142.47%
Hawthorn - 48 - 139.92%
Geelong - 48 - 112.39%
Port Adelaide - 44 - 133.89%
North Melbourne - 40 - 115.51%
Essendon - 36 - 110.02%
Collingwood - 36 - 106.61%
Gold Coast - 36 - 99.45%
Adelaide - 32 - 108.38%
West Coast - 28 - 108.21%
Richmond - 24 - 100.14%
Western Bulldogs - 24 - 84.94%
Carlton - 20 - 89.54%
GWS - 16 - 72.50%
Melbourne - 16 - 71.77%
Brisbane - 16 - 63.30%
St. Kilda - 12 - 56.97%

In the news...
Hayden Ballantyne and Thomas Murphy have both accepted their one-match bans for various indiscretions, meaning the tribunal will not sit tonight.

Showing a solid 50% commitment to multiculturalism, the AFL has offered free entry for international passport holidays during this weekend's half-a-round. Paying members will still have to shell out for booking fees, print your own ticket fees, upgrade fees etc....

NOT LENNY! Lenny Hayes has announced that this years Wooden Spoon will be his last. He will retire at seasons end after nearly 300 games.